Wednesday 12/23/09: Watch coupon rules: Specific flavors, etc

When you're buying egg nog and using a coupon for it, make sure that the coupon doesn't say you have to get pumpkin egg nog in order to get the savings, unless of course, you like pumpkin egg nog! Just be sure you're getting the right item so you're not stopped when you get to the register and then you're tempted to say, "Oh well, just go ahead and put it in, I guess." On the other hand...

Wednesday 12/16/09: Some stores bonus coupons over $0.50

We traveled to Ohio for Thanksgiving and on our way there we stopped at a Kroger. I decided to get some Gerber juice for my baby since she had drunk the remainder of what we had. I had a coupon for 55 cents off of three, and they were on sale. Not a stellar buy, but still saving money on something I had to buy. When I got my receipt, behold, Kroger had added a 45-cent bonus "coupon" to make it equal a dollar. WHOA. I mean, that's the reason for 55-cent coupons--the store doesn't have to double it. So far I haven't found a store in my area that does this, but be aware that there are some that do, so you can look for one in your area. Ask your store if they're aware of any of their chain that will bonus any coupon to make it worth $1.

Tuesday 12/01/09: Use two coupons on the same item

Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid all tend to include store-specific coupons in their sale ads. What you may not realize, though, is that it's rare for these coupons to be restricted to be used alone. Usually a coupon you clip from the paper will say "not valid in conjunction with any other offer" or "limit one per item per customer" in order to prevent you from using multiple coupons to get an item for free. That's not usually the case with an in-ad coupon. Look at the fine print to make sure it doesn't contain one of those exclusions, and then use both. I did this a few weeks ago to get Softsoap body wash at Rite Aid for 25 cents.

Wednesday, 11/25/09: Black Friday tips-read the fine print

It's almost time for one of the biggest shopping days of the year! As you head out this Friday (which I will NOT be doing for the first time in a few years!) I have a few tips for you. First, read the fine print on all the sale papers with offers you're interested in. Check out how many items the store will have so you can plan where you need to be first. See if the computer comes with no software so you'll have to buy $500 of software to use it for anything. Look for quantity limits, and time limits (i.e. the deal is only 5-11 a.m. or whatever). Remember, all sales and advertising are designed to get you to spend money on specific products. That's not bad, because if you need a product you're going to buy it one way or another. Just be sure that you're spending the amount of money you planned (or less) on the products you want, without spending more because you missed the hidden rules.

Saturday 11/21: Watch coupon rules-Buy this, get that

Occasionally there will be a coupon that allows you to save off of two separate items, or to buy one and get a different one free or at a discount. I rarely cut these out because I rarely need both items, and if you stop to calculate the actual savings, it's not much. The odds that I'll need both items, find them both on sale, and have the coupon be high enough to be a significant savings are small. Also, one of the items is normally higher-priced than a similar brand (e.g. you have to get Carnation canned milk when Eagle is cheaper). However, if you know you'll buy both items, better to save some than nothing. Just make sure you get the right items at the right sizes to get the advertised savings.

Friday, 11/20/09: Watch coupon rules-sizes and weights

Another reason a store might reject your coupon is if you haven't purchased the right size or weight of the product. For example, right now I have a coupon for Reynolds foil because I may need some soon. But, it's only good for certain sizes (the larger ones, actually, which is typical). Now, at my grocery store they won't usually catch or refuse a coupon because of the size. They're in too much of a hurry and they remember seeing the item, so they override it and move on. But to me that's dishonest so I try not to do it, and at your store they might be a little more careful about it. Again, you may end up in a situation where you're tempted to say, "Oh go ahead and get it anyway," in which case you've paid more than you wanted to and the coupon failed your purpose.

Thursday 11/19/09: Watch coupon rules-expiration dates

I don't know if all stores are like this, but the grocery store where I shop will catch via computer when a coupon is expired and won't allow you to use it (which makes sense). So make sure all your coupons are valid, if the store cares. Otherwise you'll be tempted to say, "oh, just put it in anyway," in which case another marketing aspect of coupons has worked on you--you've bought the product without a discount. I go through all of my coupons shortly after the 1st of the month to throw out all the ones I haven't used that have expired. And I look at them and think, "all those coupons represent money I didn't spend." So throwing them out is not a bad thing!

Wednesday 11/18/09: BOGO plus 2 coupons

You might think that if you need/want two of something, and they're buy-one-get-one, you can only use one coupon because the other is "free." Well, it's not really free, you're paying half-price for each, and you can certainly use two coupons. Think about say, a side dish from Country Crock. If they're typically $5, and they're on sale as a BOGO, and you have two coupons for $1 each, you're getting $10 worth of side dishes for $3- 70% off. That's smart couponing!

Sunday 11/15/09: "Do not double" doesn't mean anything

As I wrote yesterday, you should shop at a store that will double your coupons. But what about a coupon for 50 cents that says "Do not double" on the top? Doesn't mean anything. A store that doubles coupons will still give you the bonus amount. I *think* the difference is that in one, the manufacturer pays the doubling, and in the other case, the store does, but regardless of the reason, be assured that your store will still double a coupon 50 cents or lower if it says "Do not double" on the top.